The Potomac Avenue SE triangle parks (Reservations 253 and 254) in SE Capitol Hill have been part of an area with significant drugs, violence, and crime over many years. There have been multiple shootings near the parks and in the area, including the devastating nearby murder of a teenage girl in November 2016. Many of the people that spend time at the parks are not residents of our community. Almost no children and families spend time at the parks because it is generally felt to be unsafe. Additionally, there is limited green space in the parks so they do not generally represent an open gathering place in which to foster community events.

Our request is for Mayor Bowser to include $500,000 in her FY18 budget to fund the renovation of both of these parks. The goal is to activate the parks to make them more kid- and family-friendly as well as create a beautified meeting place for all residents of our community. We hope to push out loitering and crime while offering opportunities for building neighborly relationships. We believe that these changes will increase public safety and improve community-building efforts.